7 August 2015

In a defining moment of his young presidency, Egypt's
Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi presided Thursday over the unveiling of a major
extension of the Suez Canal that he hailed as a historic feat needed to
revive the country's ailing economy after years of unrest.

Upbeat and clearly relishing the pomp-filled occasion, el-Sissi nevertheless conceded that the $8.5 billion project will not bring a quick economic windfall to a country roiled by violence and unrest since 2011. Its completion, he said, was but the first of a 1,000-step journey Egyptians must take toward economic recovery.